Carmen at the Teresa Carreno Theatre, Caracas

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You think that you know the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra. They’re the 180-strong band from Venezuela who have thrilled the world with their Tchaikovsky or Mahler: big sounds, big thrills. Cut down to an elite third of the squad by Simon Rattle, however, and you hear a new side to their personality. Rattle, who was conducting his first Carmen as part of an extended residency in the Venezuelan capital, found a gossamer touch with these players to fashion one of the most charming and evocative performances of Bizet’s score that I’ve heard.